Security expert and ex-Army Ranger John Knight broke the cardinal rule of being a bodyguard -- don’t get involved with the client. One torrid afternoon of hot sex with Topaz Jewel was all they had together before his job was done, and she’s been avoiding him ever since. He’s been hired to protect her once again, and this time, when the job is over, he’s won’t let her slip away.

Topaz is an independent businesswoman with no time in her life for a permanent relationship, especially not one with a man like John, who’s used to adrenaline rushes and danger. There’s no denying their sexual attraction, but she’s determined to play things smart.

John doesn't take her home when the job is finished, but to an isolated cabin. It isn't every day that a bodyguard kidnaps his client, but he knows they're meant to be together -- and he'll use their sizzling passion to prove it.

Once upon a time N.J. had the idea that she would like to quit her job at the bookstore, sell everything she owned, leave her hometown, and write romance novels in a place where no one knew her. And she did. Two years later, she went back to the bookstore and her hometown and settled in for another seven years.

One day she gave notice at her job on a Friday morning. On Sunday afternoon, she received a tentative acceptance for her first erotic romance novel, Annabelle Lee, and life would never be the same.

HH: NJ, thank you so much for talking with us at TRS BLUE. Your featured book is Touch of Topaz. This is part of your Awakening Desire series. What do you like best about this series and how it has evolved?

NJ: Thank you to TRS Blue for having me here this month. The Awakening Desires series began in 2005 with Katie’s Art of Seduction and there are currently seven books in the series. (I’ve submitted book eight to her and am waiting to hear from her.)
Each book is a stand-alone read, but you’ll recognize characters from earlier books as you read later ones. For instance, Topaz Jewel, the heroine from Touch of Topaz, was first introduced in book five, Jackson’s Jewel.
The Awakening Desires books are all contemporary/erotic stories that have elements of suspense. The series is hot and sexy and fun to write.

HH: How does Touch of Topaz fit in and what sets it apart from the other stories in the series?

NJ: Touch of Topaz is the seventh book in the series and features Topaz Jewel, one of the three Jewel sisters who readers first met in Jackson’s Jewel. Topaz and John are both very strong people and are constantly butting heads. The conflict in the book is generated by the main couple rather than by any outside force. It’s fun to watch the sexual sparks fly between these two.

BLURB:
Security expert and ex-Army Ranger John Knight broke the cardinal rule of being a bodyguard—don’t get involved with the client. One torrid afternoon of hot sex with Topaz Jewel was all they had together before his job was done, and she’s been avoiding him ever since. He’s been hired to protect her once again, and this time, when the job is over, he’s won’t let her slip away.

Topaz is an independent businesswoman with no time in her life for a permanent relationship, especially not one with a man like John, who’s used to adrenaline rushes and danger. There’s no denying their sexual attraction, but she’s determined to play things smart.

John doesn’t take her home when the job is finished, but to an isolated cabin. It isn’t every day that a bodyguard kidnaps his client, but he knows they’re meant to be together -- and he’ll use their sizzling passion to prove it.

HH: What do you like about Topaz and what's her greatest strength?

NJ: Topaz is a very strong businesswoman who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go out and get out. She’s organized and has a definite plan for her life; one that doesn’t include John Knight. Like most of us, she has issues surrounding personal relationships, which makes it difficult for her to make herself vulnerable to a man. She’s a modern woman and readers will recognize parts of themselves in her.

HH:What do you like best about John and why will readers love him?

NJ: John Knight is a strong man, the kind of man who a woman can depend on. This security expert and ex-Army Ranger knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to work for it. He’s tough, but he has a soft side too. And he’s more than willing to do whatever it takes to get Topaz once he’s decided she’d the perfect woman for him.

HH: Which of these stories is your personal favorite?

NJ: Now that is a difficult question. I love them all for different reasons. Katie’s Art of Seduction is special because it was the first book of the series, Erin’s Fancy was the book that ended up giving me the courage to leave my day job and take up writing full time and Craving Candy won an EPPIE Award. It’s impossible for me to pick only one.

HH: Which was the hardest to write and why?

NJ: I think the hardest book in the series to write was Capturing Carly. Nathan Connors was not an easy hero to get to know. He was a lot more controlling and dominating than I expected him to be and I ended up doing a lot of rewriting on his story. But, in the end, it was worth all the extra time and aggravation.

HH: What else do you have in store for lucky readers?

NJ: Damek’s Redemption, book 6 of the Legacy series, is coming out on October 30th from Samhain Publishing. Readers have been asking about Damek since the very start of the series. He’s a vampire in the midst of all the werewolves in the Legacy series and he’s become involved in their lives and struggles. Now it’s his turn to have his story told.

I’m really excited about a new series I have coming out with Samhain Publishing in the New Year. 2013 will be the year of Hades’ Carnival, a new paranormal quartet featuring shapeshifting immortal warriors and the women that break the five-thousand-year-old curse that has held them captive in their animal forms for all that time. The first book -- Night of the Tiger -- will be released in January! The plan is to release all four books next year.

HH: What are you most excited about in your career right now?

NJ: I’m very excited about the way I’ve grown as a writer and the books I’m writing now. If I can meet my schedule, I’m planning on taking two months next summer to work on something totally new and just for me. It’s an idea I’ve been wanting to explore for a few years now but just haven’t been able to find the time.

HH: What are you looking forward to most in the rest of 2012?

NJ: Career wise, I’m looking forward to having two more books done by the end of the year -- the last book in the Hades’ Carnival series and a new Tapestries book. Honestly, I’d like to be working on a new book by December, but I’m realistic enough to know I get very little done that month. On a more personal note, I’m really looking forward to all the holidays -- Thanksgiving, Halloween and Christmas! I love everything about this time of year.

HH: Do you have a writing hero and if so, who would it be?

NJ: That’s a tough question as there are so many wonderful writers I admire. Jayne Ann Krentz is a particular hero as it was her books that started me reading romance so many years ago. Of course, Nora Roberts has to be on the list. I admire the way she’s written so many books but never sacrificed the quality of the stories. They just keep getting better and better.

But my biggest writing hero is probably my husband. He’s been writing for years (mostly literary fiction) and published a couple years ago. He was the one who was always encouraging me to write. He’s my biggest fan and the first reader for all my work. Without him, I might never have found the courage to write.